


Loyalty and Rewards

by Lavanya_Six



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Missing Scene, One Shot, Royalty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-21
Updated: 2011-12-21
Packaged: 2017-10-27 15:51:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/297513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lavanya_Six/pseuds/Lavanya_Six
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"It's not like you to be rebellious. Or stupid."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Loyalty and Rewards

"Mai," Azula began, breaking the silence of their walk through the garden grounds, "do you actually love Zuko?"

"He's amusing, I guess."

"Because sometimes I wonder. The way you just tossed him away at Chan's party, like he was some peasant instead of your crown prince." Azula glanced askew at Mai. "It's not like you to be rebellious. Or stupid."

"I meant no disrespect to the throne, Princess," Mai began, inwardly hating the sudden quickening of her heart. She wasn't stupid, however; having already prepared a logical excuse if Azula made an issue of that night. "I said what I did to Zuko because I knew he would come back, and because it would make him less likely to leave me in the future."

Azula tapped her lower lip with a long, perfectly manicured fingernail. Firebenders typically lacked nails of such length. That the princess had them spoke more to her perfection of the art than any bolt of bent lightning, and they both knew it. "Hm. Zuzu _is_ like a kicked dog that way, isn't he?"

Mai said nothing. She hadn't really been asked a question.

"Do you intend on marrying my brother?"

"If it pleases you, Azula."

"It doesn't please me to imagine you as my superior. Does it please you, Mai?" Azula said this lightly, and it was honestly meant as a fluff question. Neither of them were under any delusion about what Mai's answer would be, or if there would be some deception beneath those words. Azula had smothered any sort of independent fire years ago.

( _Or thought she had_ , wasn't something Mai allowed herself to think.)

"No, Princess. I could never be your superior. Or your equal."

"I just want to know for certain that you realize what marrying Zuko means." Azula stopped beneath an apple tree. Mai reached up, picked a piece of fruit, and began skinning it for the princess. A long, unbroken peel slowly spiraled down to the ground. "Because I've always appreciated your loyalty, Mai. So believe me when I say that there's no need for Zuko to come to harm to ensure my succession as Fire Lord."

Mai finished with the apple. The whole peel tumble down into the grass. She began sectioning the flesh into wedges, wet fingers never so much as trembling. Mai did that all without breaking eye contact with Azula.

"Whenever I don't require you, you'll need someplace nice to live. Maybe renovate my family's house on Ember Island, or perhaps something out of the way in the colonies. Give it some thought." The princess chuckled. "Maybe Zuzu could open his own tea shop."

"Thank you, Azula. Although that sounds a little boring."

The princess took the first piece of apple she offered, chewing and swallowing before speaking again. "Someone with Zuko's lack of amibition and pathetic ignorance of reality deserves to waste their days away in the countryside, playing pai-sho and growing fat like Uncle, not being Fire Lord. But I do own him. Excuse me. 'Owe' him."

"Oh?" Mai asked, because that was an invitation.

Azula finished a second wedge and then waved Mai's hand away. She tossed aside the rest of the apple.

"Under Ba Sing Se," the princess answered. "The look on Uncle Fatso's face when Zuzu stabbed him in the back... priceless. I guess he didn't realize how much of a kicked dog your future husband is."

At that phrasing, Mai bowed her head. "Thank you, Princess."

"I reward loyalty." Azula dried her juice-slick fingers on Mai's sleeve. "Just remember, Zuzu's your responsibility now. Try to keep him from doing anything too stupid."

"Of course."

"You can leave."

At that, Mai began walking back along the path that would eventually take her out of the palace.

"And Mai?"

She stopped, looked over her shoulder at Azula.

"Yes, Azula?"

"Bad dogs get put down."

Mai nodded, turned, and resumed her stroll out of the garden.


End file.
